Explain Like I'm Five · by Avery Johnson · 2026-08-29
Can we talk about the underrated side of simple in real life
A few notes from my attempt:
- keep the first step visible
- remove one annoying decision
- celebrate the boring repeat
I started this because my lunch break felt a little stuck, and simple seemed like a manageable place to experiment. The funny part is that the smallest change was the one I kept.
A few notes from my attempt:
- keep the first step visible
- remove one annoying decision
- celebrate the boring repeat
A few notes from my attempt:
- keep the first step visible
- remove one annoying decision
- celebrate the boring repeat
46 sparks · 11 comments
Comments
Amelia Hughes · 6 likes
Agree completely. The simple version is underrated. I used to overcomplicate this constantly.
Aarav Sharma · 3 likes
That is a surprisingly elegant way to frame it. This would have saved me a lot of trial and error. Glad you shared the messy version too.
Omar Al Falasi · 2 likes
My version of this was messier, but the conclusion was similar. A little friction removed goes a long way.
Camila Rocha · 1 likes
Really good advice, and it feels doable. The social part surprised me too. The follow-through matters more than the perfect plan.
Marco Conti · 1 likes
This has cozy competence written all over it. The beautiful part is easy to underestimate. This is kinder advice than most of the internet manages.
Miguel Santos · 0 likes
Anecdotally, this tracks with what I have seen. It reminds me of a very specific conversation near a trailhead.
Anna Gruber · 0 likes
This is one of those ideas that looks great online and falls apart on Tuesday. I would write it down before changing anything else.
Sophie Gagnon · 0 likes
The context helps. Without it I would have assumed the opposite. This would have saved me a lot of trial and error.
Olena Shevchenko · 0 likes
Anecdotally, this tracks with what I have seen. The awkward constraint is probably the real story. People underestimate how much sleep changes the answer.